Isolation cells in Dutch psychiatric clinics outdated

12th December 2008, 0 comments

Isolation cells such as the one where a patient died in earlier this year should be phased out.

AMSTERDAM – The manager of a psychiatric clinic in Amsterdam where a patient died in an isolation cell in September, says such cells are outdated, and wants to phase them out over the next three years.

A report published on Wednesday found that care in the clinic was far below standard. Psychiatrists and nursing staff did not work well together, and medicines were not monitored properly. Earlier complaints made on these issues had not been acted upon. The manager Jeroen Muller calls the conclusions disconcerting.

The clinic in East Amsterdam was closed after the incident, and a decision on whether or not to reopen it will be taken in February.